


Umbrella

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-01-29 05:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12624636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: A misjudgment on the weather leads to Kagura being forced to share an umbrella with her worst enemy.





	Umbrella

Jellal walked down the sidewalk, relatively dry under his umbrella as a tide of water swept down the street in a dull roar.  He imagined that it must be what a waterfall sounded like in person.  Having never seen one himself before, he had only the storm water to go by.

Thankfully, he had thought to bring his umbrella today on the off chance that the grey clouds on the horizon led to something.  And they had, opening up and pouring down in sheets when he was halfway home after school had let out.  The initial drenching had still caught him, and his shoes squelched from accidentally stepping in a puddle, but at least he wasn’t getting any more wet than he already was.

The street was mostly deserted, he noticed.  Not many people in this town wanted to run around in the rain, umbrella or no.  A vast difference from the city he’d lived in before, where the streets were so tightly packed with umbrellas on rainy days where someone without one could pass under the cover without getting a drop of water on them.  Not that he’d… tried that, himself.

A spot of color in the washed-out world caught his attention, and he peered at it through the rain.  As he got closer, it coalesced into the form of a girl.  A girl he recognized as one Kagura Mikazuchi.  She was huddled under a slip of cover provided by a closed shop’s door, rain absolutely pouring all around her.  Kagura looked completely miserable, in her all white uniform.  Well, that explained why she hadn’t made a break for it.  Though, judging from how she was glaring out at the storm, she might well do it anyway.

When Jellal reached where she stood, he paused.  Warm relief shone in her eyes for a moment, and then turned abruptly icy as recognition set in.  “Jellal,” she hissed at him.  “Come to gloat at the girl that forgot her umbrella?”

Honestly, Jellal had no clue as to why she despised him, but she had ever since they were children studying at the same kendo dojo.  But it was powerful enough to lead to a great deal of trouble for him, even though they attended different high schools.  He got along just fine with her brother and her adopted sister Erza.  It was just Kagura that had a problem with him.

“Well?” she snapped when he hesitated for too long.

Jellal heaved a sigh.  “Look, I know you hate me.  And that’s fine.   But if you can put that aside for the next few minutes, I’ll be happy to share the umbrella and walk you home.  Sound doable?”

She contemplated it for a full minute, the seconds ticking agonizingly by as the rain pummeled the ground and Kagura’s eyes flicked back and forth between it and Jellal.

Finally, she chose the lesser of two evils and nodded slightly.  “I think I can do that.”

Face brightening, Jellal held it out to her.  “Let’s get going, then.”

It was uncomfortable as all hell, sharing the umbrella with Kagura.  They had to walk shoulders pressed together or rain would drip on their heads, or down their backs.  As it was, Jellal was pretty sure his outside arm was getting soaked and so was Kagura’s.  Regardless of how uncomfortable it made the both of them, they trekked on through the downpour in silence.

Eventually Kagura’s home swam into sight – attached to the dojo Jellal remembered spending a large amount of time practicing in.

“You stopped coming to practice,” Kagura suddenly accused him, the first she’d spoken since agreeing to share the umbrella.  “Erza and Simon won’t say it, but they miss you.”  She glared up at him.  “Come and visit them, sometimes.”

Jellal opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Kagura tore her gaze away from his.  She took off into the rain – making a mad dash for the safety of the porch with her bookbag held over her head.  Once she’d reached it, she paused and half turned back to look at him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and gave her a small wave.

With a huff, she looked away and hurried inside.

Was she checking to see if he was still there?  If so, that was almost… endearing.  Honestly, this was the friendliest Kagura had been with him since she was five, and he seven.

He considered it progress.  On that happier note, he continued walking home, the rain seeming a little less dreary than before.


End file.
